Upsets are common in world football but when so many top clubs fall simultaneously, its no fluke. The rest of Europe stepped their game up and getting out of the group stage in the Champions League won’t be the cakewalk it was to the bigger names.

In two days of group play Arsenal, Premier League Champs Manchester City and reigning UCL champs Chelsea all fall in convincing fashion. In close calls, FC Barcelona and Manchester United fight in crunch time to barely collect the points to stay alive. And to officially transition their status from sleeper to contender, Borussia Dortmund defeats the great Real Madrid.

Most of the teams will bounce back from these losses and close calls but the dud club of this years European tourney is Manchester City. Sitting at the basement of the “group of death,” the English team look to be bounced out in group play in consecutive seasons.

So the question remains – better competition or just another case of the trap game? See the video evidence, then decide.

I dont think they are. With Barcelona and United, even when they were trailing you could see they were both going to win. Celtic and Braga didnt have a chance. With City it was Mancini shitting the money-bed. He proved without a doubt yesterday that he isnt an elite manager (or that he made one mistake). The reason United scores so many goals late in games to crush other teams spirits is that they never abandon “the plan”. “The plan” works, its proven. City’s plan works too, they proved that last year. Yet for some reason Mancini went three in the back, threw on four strikers who dont play well together and just hoped against hope. As for Madrid, Dortmund is still good and every good team in allowed a bad day.

Arsenal. Lol. They are a upper tier team in my eyes, but not on that City, United, Bayern, Real, Barca level.

Dortmund & Ajax are “old money” so to speak, so its not necessarily an issue of them catching up, but rather coming back into their own after a period of darkness. Chelsea’s loss to Shakhtar is also no shock to anyone who’s seen the Ukrainians play. They’ve got a team full of young, talented players who will very soon be plying their trade at bigger clubs around EUrope.

Yeah I think everyone already said what I wanted to. If Arsenal can’t score it might get a lil rough for them. They neeed someone whose not Giroud running up top in the middle. Dortmund has some great talent and really outclassed Real it was great to watch though RM will be alright and I think ManC just played like ass like real